During my coffee chat with a seasoned product manager, I gained valuable insights into how user behavior can be influenced by context and how that shapes design decisions. He shared his experience at NBC, where he conducted observational studies by visiting people's homes to understand their streaming habits. Interestingly, he discovered that their target users—middle-aged mothers—rarely used the family television. Instead, they would retreat to their rooms to watch shows on their phones, seeking a moment of reprieve and privacy from their demanding roles as homemakers. This revelation highlighted for me just how powerful context can be in shaping behavior, which in turn should guide how we design for people's real-life scenarios.

Another takeaway from our conversation was about dealing with ambiguity in product development. I asked him how to align with product managers on long-term visions, especially to anticipate upcoming features in the design process. His response was simple yet profound: sometimes, people just don’t have all the answers. This reminded me that working with ambiguity is a crucial skill in the design world, requiring flexibility and adaptability as we navigate ever-evolving challenges.